In 2023, Botswana reviewed and increased penalties for sexual offences, but this has not deterred men from sexually violating women. Government, through the BPS, has conducted numerous men's conferences (Pitso ya Borre) in villages across the country to sensitise men about rape, as they are typically the perpetrators of this scourge.
However, these efforts appear to have had little impact, as rape cases continue to spiral out of control. For years, communities have been condemning rape as an awful act that leaves scars, both visible and invisible, on mainly the female population. This trauma continues to spread like wildfire worriedly. In some cases, women and girls are woken up from deep sleep in an attack that results in rape. Others are attacked and raped whilst walking alone with some falling victim to family members or friends who sexually assault them. The 2023 World Population Review cited Botswana as having the highest incidence of rape in the world, at 92.93 per 100,000 people. This nerve-racking traumatic experience has become a norm despite several interventions by the police to deter rape incidents. One may even say the country needs an urgent response to curb the scourge as the nation remains hopeful in the dawn of the new administration following the Umbrella of Democratic Change taking power last year.
